Alien Worlds: The Science of Exoplanet Discovery and Characterization

Course Description

In Alien World: The Science of Exoplanet Discovery and Characterizations, Professor Andrew West delves into the scientific quest for life beyond Earth, offering students a detailed examination of our solar system, NASA exploration, and the discovery of 500 planets orbiting the skies. This course was first taught via the edX platform in the fall of 2014 and again in the summer of 2015.

Learning objectives include:

How to use basic scientific tools to discover and characterize exoplanets.
A basic understanding of key concepts of astrophysics, including light, gravity, and motion.
The skills you need to understand your place in the universe.

Course Introduction Video

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Course Instructor

Andrew West

Andrew West is an Associate Professor in the Department of Astronomy at Boston University (BU). West’s major research interests center around using low-mass stars to understand the structure and evolution of the Milky Way galaxy, the environments that host exoplanets, and various processes on the stars themselves. In 2013, he was awarded an NSF CAREER grant and a Cottrell Scholarship for his research and teaching endeavors, including his efforts to increase the diversity of Astronomy and other science fields. Professor West recently received the Gitner Award for Teaching Excellence from the College of Arts and Sciences at BU and was selected as a Scialog Fellow by the Research Corporation.

Professor West was supported in developing and teaching this course by Boston University graduate students Sadia Hoq, Brandon Harrison and Aurora Kesseli.

Starts:May 31, 2017
Duration:6 weeks (Estimated 4-6 hours per week)